Our impact

As a mission-driven bank, NIB focuses on financing projects that improve productivity and benefit the environment in the Nordic–Baltic region.

Prior to making loan decisions, NIB assesses how the projects considered for financing promote productivity gains and provide environmental benefits in the Bank’s member countries. We follow up the project implementation, and once completed, we evaluate the extent to which the estimated impacts have materialised. In measuring the impact of our financing, we apply a set of predefined indicators. NIB also monitors its own environmental footprint annually.

What we report

The impact from our lending is measured according to a set of productivity and environmental indicators. We are constantly developing reporting parameters to provide our stakeholders specific data on the impact of NIB’s operations. Currently, we publish descriptions of newly agreed loans, visit Agreed Loans. In the annual reports, we disclose the aggregated productivity and environmental impact of our lending and we calculate the total net emissions of greenhouse gases for all projects. Impacts of projects funded through NIB Environmental Bonds (NEB) are presented in the annual NEB reports. In cooperation with other major international financial institutions, we contribute to harmonized frameworks for impact reporting, for example on renewable energy and energy efficiency. NIB also participates in Green Bond Principles working groups. Currently, the Bank is member of the “Green Bond Taxonomy” and “Green Bond Eligibility” groups. In this context, impact reporting metrics for sustainable water and wastewater management, waste management and resource efficiency projects were developed.

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Measuring our impact

NIB publishes detailed descriptions of all projects financed on its website. The aggregated productivity and environmental impact of our lending is disclosed in the Bank’s annual reports. When reporting our environmental impact, we prorate the emissions to our share of the financing in order to avoid double-accounting with co-financiers.

The total net emissions of greenhouse gases are calculated for all the projects. Impacts of projects funded through NIB Environmental Bonds are presented in the NIB Environmental Bond Report.

Mission fulfilment

NIB's mission fulfilment

NIB’s mission is to finance projects that improve productivity and benefit the environment of the Nordic and Baltic countries.

All projects considered for financing are analysed for their potential impact on the environment and on producivity gains, and are rated according to the Bank's mandate rating system on a scale from negative to excellent. NIB's aim is for at least 90% of agreed loans to achieve a good or excellent rating.

NIB-financed projects and the UN SDGs

The seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out a global roadmap for tackling economic, environmental and social challenges as part of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

In line with its mission, NIB has identified the SDGs to which its financed projects, business strategy and sustainability approach can contribute:

Our ecological footprint

2015

2016

2017

Change

Electricity (MWh)

1,269

1,280

1,300

2%

District heating (MWh)

1,188

1,348

1,535

14%

District cooling (MWh)

336

349

311

-11%

Water (m3)

2,725

2,738

2,990

9%

Business travel, air (million km)

5.0

4.2

4.1

-4%

Business travel, CO2 (t)

632

491

443

-10%

Paper (t)

6

6

6

0%

Paper recycled (t)

12

12

10

-16%

Other waste (t)

16

15

22

47%

With regard to its own direct ecological footprint, NIB has environmental guidelines for office practices, facilities management and procurement. NIB complies with the requirements of EU environmental legislation, and in many respects applies even stricter rules than legislation requires. NIB's headquarters in Helsinki has been part of the WWF Green Office network since 2009.

Key figures

NIB updates financial figures three times a year: for the period January–April (published in June), the period January–August (published in October) and the period January–December (published in March). Only the year-end figures are audited.